The present disclosure relates to ostomy appliances, and more particularly to an ostomy pouch for collecting body waste through a stomal opening for later disposal.
Ostomy pouches for the collection of body waste are well known. Ostomy pouches typically include flat, opposing side walls secured together along their edges to define a collection cavity. One of the side walls is provided with an opening to receive a stoma, and means such as a connecting flange is provided for securing the pouch to an adhesive barrier placed to surround the stoma so that body waste discharged through the stoma is received within the cavity. At its lower end, the ostomy pouch may have a discharge opening which may be closed during collection of the body waste material but may be opened for draining the body waste material from the pouch after a period of use. Alternatively, the ostomy pouch may be designed for a single use, in which case, it will not be provided with a discharge opening since the entire pouch will be discarded after it has substantially filled with stomal discharge.
Ostomy pouches are available in various sizes for different collecting capacity needs for different users or for different situations of an individual user. For example, the user will want to use a large ostomy bag over night, but may desire to use a smaller ostomy bag or cap for discretion during public activities or when exercising. However, as stomal discharge cannot be regulated at will, the small ostomy bag or cap may not provide sufficient collection capacity to contain a sudden outflow of stomal discharge.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved ostomy pouch that is small enough to provide the discretion desired by the user, yet can also provide a sufficient collection capacity to contain sudden outflows of stomal discharge.